Teeth Whitening and bleaching have become extremely popular in the United States.

Whitening toothpastes, over-the-counter gels, rinses, strips, trays, and other whitening products provide a vast array of options. Some are available in stores while others are obtained in the dental office.

Teeth whitening is accomplished best for patients who have healthy, unrestored teeth, and gums. Existing crowns and fillings do not whiten… Just enamel responds to the whitening process. Patients with yellow tones to their teeth tend to have the most success. Heavy coffee, tea, and dark soda drinkers (as well as smokers) are encouraged to stop such habits before bleaching because they are replacing stains as fast as they are coming off.

Dr. Huggins offers an “at home” bleaching system for her patients. The patient is asked to come to a short appointment where impressions are made of the upper and lower arches. Models are then made, and custom trays are fabricated. The patient will wear these custom trays with the dental bleach inside for 2-4 hours per day for two weeks. Dr. Huggins encourages her patients to store their custom trays somewhere safe so they may be used at a later date if the patient would like a booster bleaching kit. Some patients experience temporary tooth sensitivity while bleaching. This usually can be controlled by skipping a day of bleaching or using fluoride and/or a sensitivity toothpaste.